Bactra verutana
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Bactra verutana, the javelin moth, is a species of moth of the family Tortricidae. It is found in North America, where it has been recorded from Florida, Texas, Mississippi, North Carolina, Indiana, Missouri, Ontario, Alberta, Quebec and Labrador. It is also found in Cuba, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Puerto Rico, Mozambique and South Africa. The habitat consists of prairies, aspen parkland, foothills and mixed wood areas.
The wingspan is 11–17 mm. The larvae feed on the leaves, fascicles and basal bulbs of Cyperus esculentus, Scirpus and Juncus species. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
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More parks will be added in future updates.
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Javelin Moth sighting in Houston on a given day, based on 14 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 580th most-seen of the 1057 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Javelin Moth in Houston on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
3rd of 4
Of the 4 cities where we can rate Javelin Moth sightings, Houston ranks 3rd at under 5%. The best odds are in Austin (United States, about 10%) and Dallas (United States, under 5%).
Same family: Tortricidae
The closest relatives of the Javelin Moth that you can see in Houston (family Tortricidae, Tortricid Leafroller Moths) are Filbertworm Moth (about 10%), Garden Tortrix (about 10%) and Omnivorous Platynota Moth (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Javelin Moth is recorded against all the insects logged in Houston (14 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
